This book has all the hallmarks of a Charlotte Stein. Two sweet dummies whose low self esteem and bad experiences keep them from seeing what’s in front of their face, even as they have a sexual awakening and feel seen for the first time. Some quirk of fate or poor decision making leads to a forced proximity situation- in this case, Hazel poses as her neighbor Beck’s fake wife at a writers retreat he’s leading that she had already signed up to go to- where the pent up lust and emotions have no option but to boil over.

Stein has a gift for inane and spirally but delightfully quick and funny repartee. Her humor always goes in unexpected stream of consciousness directions that lead to more discoveries about the characters. Even during sexy times, there’s sheepish confessions about appreciation of body parts that seem to bubble up until the mc can’t help but blurt them out, like the verbal equivalent of coming in his pants because she’s just that desirable (which is also a Stein classic that we get here).

Other Stein hallmarks we know and love: a mutual masturbation scene, dirty talk, a very well endowed virgin hero. Refreshingly he hasn’t done something horrible to her in the past that he needs to atone for, as is sometimes the case in a Charlotte Stein relationship dynamic. The fake marriage trope delivers the “my wife” catnip we all crave. Not to be spoilery, but they also have sex in the backseat of a car and he wraps a blanket around her like he’s Lloyd Dobbler, so if you like sweet cinnamon roll heroes you really can’t go wrong here.

I loved Stein’s subversion of gendered romance expectations: Hazel’s a grump and Beck is a bow tie-wearing manic pixie dream dork in the body of a lumberjack. And he’s the sexually inexperienced one- at one point Hazel thinks of him as a nineteenth century wallflower and she’s the rake who is scandalizing him. One thing that’s delightfully equal opportunity though— these poor babies have come to expect and minimize mistreatment for themselves, but are absolutely feral in defense of each other. Going back to the nineteenth century comparison, there’s also something delicious about the epistolary moments we get here, notes passed under doors and emails sent while in different parts of the same retreat: these tentative souls are more comfortable and more honest in writing (this is also clearly a kink Beck has).

So here’s what kept me from 5 stars: Stein increasingly relies on my least fave subsection of the miscommunication trope, when an mc persists in their misunderstanding because of their low self worth and assumptions they continue to make after lots of contradicting evidence has been presented. Hazel and Beck stay surprised by the other’s sexual and then emotional interest in each other for longer than I can suspend my disbelief for. And I was so frustrated when she would say things to test him, see if he’ll protest. She just ends up confirming both of their worst suspicions that the other doesn’t want something lasting with them. Passive aggression is not sexy! It’s very high school, I think I would have been less irritated if these characters were not in their 30s.

Hazel is so lucky to have a friend like Mabel!! Thank goodness for her and her truthtelling. Also I love Alfie from When Grumpy Met Sunshine and it was a delight to experience his growly overprotectiveness again. I loved this as an addition to the series, overall a solid recommendation.

If you like the following tropes, I highly recommend:
-Fake Marriage
-Coworkers
-Forced proximity
-One bed
-“What did you say to my wife?!”
-Miscommunication

Things I loved about this book:
1. That the FMC was curvy and that it wasn’t a huge plot point in the book. The author describes the curves a couple times but I loved that her size wasn’t spoken of derogatorily. I also loved that the FMC was pensive toward men in the very beginning. That part was very relatable.
2. I love that they had a friendship that started before the fake marriage stuff happened. I love that the MMC put in the effort to make the FMC feel comfortable all the time.
3. The couple from When Grumpy Met Sunshine are in this book, but you do not need to read that one before you read this.

What I didn’t really care for:
1. The communication issues. It seemed like they were communicating fantastically at one point and then one of them would run away from the situation, they don’t take for a period of time and then they clear the air.

Overall, it was a cute read. I would read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Beck appears to be an absolute nice guy, but Connie's met enough nice guys to know that they're never actually very nice. The more she gets to know Beck, the more she starts to believe he might be the real deal, even as she gets pulled into his lies about having a wife.

I loved the premise of this book, but I could not get into the story. It starts out very slowly, and I wasn't invested in the characters. While I could understand that Connie's perspective coming from a place of trauma and hurt, her entire personality was just grumpy and Beck's personality was just sunshine and kind of clueless.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage is a rom-com that combines the fake marriage trope with a slow-burn romance.
This book is engaging, with some witty dialogue and a unique premise. However, some aspects didn't fully resonate with me. While Beck's character is endearing, his portrayal as a "cinnamon roll" hero felt a bit one-dimensional at times. The focus on the romance occasionally overshadowed potential character development and plot depth.
Overall, this book offers an enjoyable reading experience with its charming leads and humorous scenarios. It's a suitable pick for fans of lighthearted romantic comedies.

MY BIG FAT FAKE MARRIAGE is a story filled with lies, love, longings, and more! It follows the story of a pretty lady named Connie who has a wonderful neighbor across the hall who leaves her fresh baked pastries. She wonders who in this day and age leaves pastries for their neighbor? She avoids her neighbor at all costs, suspiciously theorizing all kinds of bad thoughts. Connie is very independent, works for an advertising firm, doesn't believe in love and wants to write books.

Enter her private neighbor, Beck. He is a burly, mustachioed man and an editor. He is neat and a whiz at baking sweet things. He is also kindly, cheery, muscly, and has a secret that makes him sick. Connie notices something off with Beck one day and nudges him about it. They both reveal their secrets and Beck's is a doozy! He tells her that in the heat of the moment where he works with a nasty colleague, he told everyone that he is married, when in real life he is not.

They both attend the same writing retreat and Connie comes up with a ruse of pretending to be his wife. They try to convince everyone they are a couple, when it's clear they don't seem to be married. On their first night alone in bed the attraction builds. As two weeks fly by, their time spent with one another turns into a steamy romance. Will love jaded Connie let down her defenses and let real love in with Beck? Will disaster strike at the retreat?

MY BIG FAT FAKE MARRIAGE is a love story filled with hope, fresh baked pies, romance, and secrets. Beck and Connie are perfect for each other, his yin to her yang. I wondered how they were going to pull off their ruse. You will have to wait and see what happens! Loved all the quirky characters and the fluffy romance. This is definitely my kind of cup of rom-com tea!

This book had some fun moments, but ultimately it felt a little empty to me. I like a cinnamon roll man, but this one was so sweet he'd make your teeth fall out. And I never really understood Connie/Hazel. I'm not sure what the point of the fake name was, because as soon as she tells Beck her real name you never hear it again, in any context. I think this author may not be for me, as this is the second book of hers I've 3-starred.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book. They were well developed and kept me interested to see how they came to embrace their true inner selves. Connie has been burned by love. She is searching for a nice guy who will treat her right but only seems to find bad boys. Her neighbor, Beck is a kind, nerdy type guy who keeps to himself. He is running a conference that Connie is scheduled to attend. He has told his coworkers that he is married. To go along with this lie, he asks Connie to pretend to be his wife. He is hoping that his nemesis at work might get off his back. This book is told from Connie’s POV, yet gives a lot of insight into Beck’s character. Reading how these characters evolved was a truly fun read.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430 and Kobo (IrishEyes430)

REVIEW: My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

Hazel, a writer, has been burned by many self-proclaimed nice guys. Then she meets Beck, an editor from across the hall, who is nerdy and friendly, which makes Hazel suspicious. She discovers that Beck has made up a wife to keep some coworkers from bothering him. When a situation arises where Hazel says she's Beck's wife to the coworker, they have to go to a writing retreat together to try to fool everyone.

I enjoyed My Big Fat Fake Marriage. I have always loved the tropes of fake marriage, but this book also features a shared bed, friends to lovers, experienced versus nonexperienced, and cinnamon roll MMC. I like the different character representations in this book. It isn't the stereotypical perfect, good-looking guy and girl; they are both unique and have more depth. Beck and Hazel have so much fun together and great chemistry. They both have some deep-rooted vulnerabilities, which they talk about together. They also had a lot of playful banter, and I laughed out loud. My Big Fat Fake Marriage gets really spicy in some of the scenes. Beck and Hazel are just so sweet, funny, and sexy together.

The only slight thing I wasn't a fan of in My Big Fat Fake Marriage was that the ending seemed to wrap up a little too quickly. I would have loved a little more to it.

Overall, I enjoyed My Big Fat Fake Marriage. It was so fun in all the best ways. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Charlotte Stein.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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Have you ever made a rash decision due to injustice that changed the trajectory of your life forever?

In My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein, Hazel stands up to a bully and then realizes the consequences of her "mistake" when she has to pretend to be the wife to Beck on a two week retreat.

The author has created so much depth in these characters that I was invested from the first page. You fall in love with Beck's quirkiness, and you want to wrap Hazel in a hug and tell her all of the ways that she's enough, just how she is... and the spice. Wow!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Thank you to Charlotte Stein, NetGalley and St Martins Press for an ARC copy of My Big Fat Fake Marriage 🩷

I thought this was such a sweet read. We have Hazel, who has a guarded but very big heart, an affinity for delicious pie and a love for writing. And Becks, the golden retriever writer who is so wholesome it’s hard to believe he’s real. I thought the two of them faking a marriage was so fun (honestly who doesn’t love a fake dating trope) especially when it was a very fast, forced proximity situation.

I really loved how encouraging of Hazel’s writing that Becks was and how kind and just sweet he was to her. She was also very patient with him and they were overall just a good match. I do wish we got to see more backstory other than their initial meeting but it’s fun to imagine on my own.

I’d highly recommend if you’re looking for a sweet, short and spicy read. 4/5 stars!

'My Big Fat Fake Marriage' by Charlotte Stein has all the tropes, fake relationship, forced proximity, one bed, cynical in love woman meets the *nicest guy.* Connie finds herself pretending to be married to Henry to help him with a nasty coworker, and naturally finds herself falling for him.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and the female main character's perspective and voice were very relatable. I struggled some with the male main character, Henry, who felt like a caricature of a caricature of a nice guy. He felt very unbelievable.

Thank you to Charlotte Stein and St. Martin's Press | St. Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of 'My Big Fat Fake Marriage.'

Beck reminds me of a character similar to who would star in Leave it to Beaver. I don’t know of anyone who says “golly” and “gee” that much. He also apologizes. A lot. He is a very endearing character but not really believable. By the end I think he changed quite a bit in a good way. There was some good humor in this one but it wasn’t my favorite read.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor space. This one is deliciously descriptive.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Unique, steamy, and hilarious romcom audiobook entertainment! It’s so good I’ve already listened again.
🤩 Imogen Wilde has a gorgeous English accent and is such a pleasure to listen to. This book works perfectly with one narrator because it’s in first person single POV. She’s really, really good at the conversations.
🤩 If you like a reluctant, inexperienced golden retriever MMC at all, or just want to try one to see if you do, you need Beck and Hazel in your life.
🤩 Hazel and Beck are so supportive and lovely to each other, but in a very fun, quirky, horny way.
🤩 Neighbors to lovers.
🤩 Fake is my favorite, especially with forced proximity and only one bed at a writing retreat.
🤩 Secret attraction and pining.
🤩 The booty conversation and moment—it’s all written so well, with fabulous characterization, and made me smile so much.
🤩 Slowwwwwww burn to oh so open and honest and sensual and detailed and beautiful.
🤩 The hot tub scene!! Is everything!
🤩 All the great communication in emails and in person.
🤩 Putting nasty Doug in his place.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Scumbag Doug is written so well. I hate him, but I love what he brings out from Hazel and Beck.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It was a light hearted and easy book to read. I loved the storyline and all the characters. I think that the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

From the illustrated cover and description, I thought I was getting a cute, cozy, plus-size romance. Boy, was I wrong!

Connie, whose real name is Hazel, and that's what she's referred to throughout the book, is never really described as plus-size. Henry Samuel Beckett is somehow a hot nerd who's barely ever been on a date, let alone done all the intimate things people do. Yet somehow, he's an expert at all of them...and I wasn't expecting the last third of the book (maybe last half?) to just be them turning each other on in different places.

There was basically no plot, and there were rarely any other characters, just Hazel's inner monologue and conversations between her and Beck (in person, in notes, in texts, in emails). There was nothing happening at all until all the sex scenes started. They're supposed to be getting his co-workers to believe they're married, yet spend less than 1% of the book interacting with these people. It was just pointless. The cute illustrated cover and clean description had me believing this was a cute closed-door rom-com, but that's not what I got.

All in all, I would say to pass this one by unless you like a plot-less story with some steamy scenes for the last third of the novel. I'm disappointed that this didn't work for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's - Griffin and NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Something has to give... Could it be her heart?

This was definitely a very cute romance. It had just the right amount of fluffy happiness. I probably looked like the little “heart eye” emoji while I was reading it. I absolutely loved the dynamic between the two main characters and definitely felt myself swooning over Beck and his bow ties..

This is a great book for anyone interest in:
💖Fake Marriage
💖Forced Proximity
💖Bookish Vibes
💖Angst/Tension
💖Fake Dating
💖One Bed

A very special thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, easy read! I loveeeee the fake marriage and forced proximity tropes! One of the tropes of the MMC was not my favorite, but I dont want to spoil anything. I loved the pop culture references, that was fun! I cringed at the love handles comment (iykyk)! The language of the MMC was a turn off to me but I understand why the author did that, its just not my thing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Stein and St Martin's Press for this ARC!

Wow, this was not what I was expecting. I loved Charlotte Stein's debut novel and was thrilled to be gifted an advanced reader copy of My Big Fat Fake Marriage in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, it's going to get honest.

While I was excited for the premise, and one of the most relatable ways that someone may ACTUALLY pretend to be married, this book was odd. I felt for Beck in the beginning, but then his character turned into this bumbling Ned Flanders character that I couldn't shake. And it turned from the first 40% being only banter and dialogue back and forth, to pure unnecessary smut out of nowhere. I'm not sure where the Charlotte went that wrote her debut, and I wanted to love this, but it just didn't come together for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3?

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for my honest review.*

Connie/Hazel distrusts men. Especially Beck who has moved in across the hall from her and who brings her pies for no reason at all. But who doesn't love pie? Also, Beck is name Henry Samuel Beckett and there are plenty of Quantum Leap references which are far too few in modern novels for my tastes!

Connie/Hazel ends up pretending to be Beck's non-existent wife that he had created for a bully in his office. And I'm sure you can guess what happens next.

Loved the banter and how literary it was and the aforementioned Quantum Leap references! Ready to read another novel from this author!